That old childhood dream of a Formula 1 seat can be a brutal thing, especially when it slips through your fingers by the narrowest of margins. As Speedcafe reports, Simona de Silvestro's journey from open-wheel stardom to the Winter Olympics reveals just how winding a racing life can get. Growing up in Switzerland watching Michael Schumacher win with Ferrari, the target was always Formula 1. After moving to the United States at 18 and shining in Formula Atlantic, she jumped to IndyCar in 2010. She earned Rookie of the Year honours with a 14th-place finish on her Indianapolis 500 debut, later securing a standout second place on the streets of Houston in 2013.
That stellar campaign made her just the third woman to claim an IndyCar podium after Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick, and the first to do so on a road or street circuit, finishing 13th in the standings. But then came the fateful pivot. In 2014, she joined Sauber as an affiliated driver on a development program featuring simulator work, physical preparation, and five test days aimed at a 2015 race seat. She felt close, but the team faced a difficult financial period and required substantial backing she simply did not possess. De Silvestro notes the deal unravelled due to circumstances out of her control, leaving her heartbroken after working so hard toward that clear target.
Undeterred by the end of her F1 aspirations, she turned her sights to a different kind of speed. Having already tackled marquee events like the Indy 500, Daytona, and Bathurst, she still craved the unique challenge of the Olympic Games. Skiing required a lifetime of early preparation and curling lacked the necessary rush, leaving bobsleigh as the most natural fit. Her motorsport background offered a distinct head start in understanding equipment and analyzing unfamiliar courses, though the physical demands were punishing. Launching the sled required an explosive exertion she had never experienced in racing, even leading to a calf injury during training that taught her what it meant to listen to her body.
Representing Italy—where her father was born—she qualified for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, competing in both the monobob and the two-woman bobsleigh alongside partner Anna Costella. She finished 23rd in both events, missing the top-twenty cut for the final run. Yet, despite results that fell short of her highest hopes, the milestone meant fulfilling a lifelong ambition of becoming an Olympian, sitting alongside her extensive racing CV.
That CV includes 91 Australian Supercars starts between 2015 and 2023, where she achieved a best race finish of seventh at Auckland in 2019 and a highest championship placing of 19th that same year. Her Bathurst 1000 appearances featured a 13th-place finish alongside Alex Rullo in 2019 and a final outing with Kai Allen at Dick Johnson Racing in 2023, where they finished 20th. Beyond the numbers, she fondly remembers the paddock atmosphere and famously introducing her father to Mount Panorama fans who handed him beers during a track walk.
Looking ahead, her sporting future remains open. She hasn't ruled out targeting another Olympics in France in 2030 to improve her results, while also eyeing a start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And as for which current F1 driver might be wild enough to follow her path into bobsleigh, she points straight to Max Verstappen, noting he drives everything fast and would be willing to try something completely different.
